These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
51% Say United States Is Last Best Hope of Mankind
Sunday, May 16, 2010
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of voters nationwide believe the United States is the last best hope of mankind. Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree, and 24% are not sure.
Conservatives overwhelmingly believe that the United States is the last best hope. However, by a 43% to 29% margin, liberals disagree.
Just 31% of those in the Political Class see the United States in such positive terms (see more on the Political Class ), compared to 58% of Mainstream voters.
Polling released earlier shows that only 45% of Political Class voters believe the United States is a more positive force in the world than the United Nations. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of Mainstream voters see America as a more positive force.
Younger voters are more skeptical than their elders about the U.S. role in the world. In fact, by a 51% to 37% margin, voters under 30 reject the notion that the United States is the last best hope of mankind. Sixty-two percent (62%) of senior citizens, on the other hand, regard the country that way.
The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on May 12-13, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology .
Other recent surveys have shown that 40% believe there is a difference between being a patriot and being a good citizen . Democrats prefer to be called a good citizen. Republicans and unaffiliated voters are evenly divided on their preferences. In terms of being a good citizen, voters overwhelmingly believe that doing volunteer work for churches and community groups is more important than getting involved in politics and government.
Eighty percent (80%) of voters believe that those who move to America should adopt American culture .
Eighty-seven percent (87%) believe English should be the nation's official language .
Last July, President Obama said that "instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English," Americans "need to make sure your child can speak Spanish." But Americans strongly disagree: Eighty-three percent (83%) place a higher priority on encouraging immigrants to speak English as their primary language . Just 13% take the opposite view and say it is more important for Americans to learn other languages.
Yet it's important to note that most Americans favor a welcoming immigration policy that excludes only "national security threats, criminals and those who would come here to live off our welfare system."